Basically, All Diets Are Total Bullsh*t

If you've been cutting carbs, sugar, or actual food this summer to keep that bikini bod looking svelte, well, stop.

If you've been cutting carbs, sugar, or actual food this summer to keep that bikini bod looking svelte, well, stop. Not only because depriving yourself of yummy delights like bread is sad face central, but because diets alone don't actually do much, new research shows.

Here's the skinny: Researchers Sherry Pagoto of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Bradley Appelhans of the Rush University Medical Center have pulled together a number of studies showing that various types of diets only produce moderate success rates when people simply change how they eat.

"The amount of resources that have gone into studying 'what' to eat is incredible, and years of research indicate that it doesn't really matter, as long as overall calories are reduced," Appelhans explained to LiveScience.

What will help with weight loss? Three lifestyle changes must take place in order for those pounds to come off:

1. Dietary counseling, i.e. portion control.

2. Exercise counseling, which includes learning how to work out safely.

3. Behavior changes like going to the gym even if you don't feel like it. (Hey, it worked for Snooki, right?)

So, it looks like we are free to swap that quinoa for mac and cheese—as long as we're hitting the gym on the reg…and not eating a whole box of Oreos in one sitting. (Easier said than done, I can assure you.)

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